Travel West Auckland | New Zealand

Welcome back to our Sixth series! For Episode 37 we are going to show you the best things to see and do in the west coast of Auckland, New Zealand.

First up we head to Piha Beach, with beautiful black sands and the infamous Lion Rock this rugged beach is a West Coast hotspot.

Second on the list is Kitekite falls, just 5 minutes away from Piha beach. This stunning bush walk takes you over rivers and up a well maintained stairway up to the beautiful 40 meter falls.

Next up its Whatipua Caves. We parked up in Omanawanui car park, from here the trail takes 15 minutes (one way) along the coast where as well as stunning caves you get a beautiful view of the west coast.

From there head to Anawhata beach. The view from the car park is incredible. We decided not to take the 20 minute walk down to the beach as we had a lot of ground to cover but definitely plan to go back as it is a quiet slice of paradise.

After finding our way back on to tarmac roads we checked out Nihotupu Falls. This 4 mile out and back track takes you down along the Nihotupu stream where you can have a dip in the pools at the bottom of some of the falls. The biggest specitical is the falls from the dam at the bottom of the walk. We found the walk a nice slow descent through the bush but the climb back up is hard on the legs.

Our favourite beach in Auckland is next and thats Bethells Beach. This stunning black sand beach is one of our favourites. We parked up in the Bethells Beach car park which has a cafe and toilets. Before heading down to explore the beach.

A truly unique experience on the West coast is the Muriwai Gannet Colony. Just 5 minutes from Maukatia Bay car park these entertaining birds gather every year between August and March to colonise.

Our final stop on the West Coast is the Fairy Falls. This 90 minute round trip takes you alongside multiple cascades that you can enjoy by swimming in or purching up with a picnic on a bench while you enjoy the sights and sounds.

We hope you enjoyed the day on the west coast. Let us know what your favourite activity was!

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Instagram - @BeckiAndGeorge

Filmed between November 2024 and April 2025.